State Representative Mike Dovilla (R-Berea) recently honored Ohio’s top U.S. Cyber Challenge students at Polaris Career Center.

The U.S. Cyber Challenge is a competition designed to reduce the shortage of workers in cyber security by identifying, attracting, recruiting, and placing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

The top three scoring students in the state of Ohio honored by Representative Dovilla are:

• Ryan Foster, State 1st place and top scoring student at Polaris Career Center. Ryan was also the 2nd ranked student nationally and received a $1,500 scholarship;

• Matthew Kerrigan, State 2nd place and top scoring student at Lakewood High School; and

• Charles Cole, State 3rd place.

“Last week, you may have seen The Plain Dealer’s editorial calling for boosting Northeast Ohio as a major IT player,” said Dovilla. “Over the past year, I have been working in Columbus to do just that with House Bill 331. It is time our public officials begin to think seriously about their responsibility for securing our state’s critical infrastructure and ensuring individuals like you are equipped with the knowledge and skills to become a part of this crucial professional field.”

House Bill 331, introduced by Representative Dovilla will establish the Cybersecurity, Education, and Economic Development Council for the purpose of studying the state’s cybersecurity operations and offering recommendations to accelerate job creation in the cybersecurity industry. House Bill 331, which unanimously passed the House in April and was approved by an Ohio Senate committee this week, awaits consideration by the full Senate before being signed into law.